THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, October 11, 1995 TAG: 9510100079
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: EARNING A LIVING IN VIRGINIA BEACH
SOURCE: BY LORI A. DENNEY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines
When Carole Neifert and Agneta White were on the verge of losing their jobs as sales associates in a clothing shop that was closing, the two women did the only thing they knew to do - they bought the business.
Neifert and White recently took over Hobie's, a women's apparel store that had been in Sandbridge for years and was more recently on Laskin Road.
``We realized we were going to be out of a job,'' said Carole Neifert, a Lagomar resident. ``I jokingly asked Agneta, `Why don't you take over the business so I can have a job?' She said, `Absolutely not. You take it over and give me a job.' ''
Two days later, the women talked again and decided to buy the Hobie's name and store fixtures and open the business together, evenly splitting the responsibilities and investment.
One of the first things the women changed was the store's location. They moved the business east on Laskin Road from Hilltop to Linkhorn Shoppes, across from the Surf N Sand movie theaters.
Hobie's, which was in Sandbridge for 17 years, had always been known for its seasonal women's clothing selections. That was the second change the women made. They decided to keep Hobie's open year around and offer women's cruise clothes, casual dress-down Friday clothes and bathing suits through all four seasons.
They also sell accessories such as belts and jewelry and offer extensive customer service, even for the men who enter.
The men have their own ``waiting'' area in the front of the store. Neifert, 40, and White, 55, have set out a wicker table and chairs with fresh cookies, a jug of ice tea and magazines on golfing to entertain the men who are waiting while their significant others shop.
Then there's the umbrella in a stand near the front door. If the weather's bad, one of the owners will walk a customer out to her car while sheltering her from the elements.
``We provide excellent customer service,'' said Neifert. ``And above all else, we're honest.''
``Yes, we are,'' added White, a native of Sweden. ``If it looks bad, we're going to tell you.''
The women also keep customer profile cards and will search high and low for special requests.
Both women were sales associates as far back as when the store was in Sandbridge and that meant they already had an idea of what the store's customers were looking for in casual clothes and also in service.
But neither woman had a clue about running a retail business.
Neifert called on several friends - an accountant, a lawyer and a neighbor who had 20 years of retail apparel buying experience - to help them with ordering clothes, arranging their paperwork and cinching the sale.
The women also formed their own corporation, Carneta Corp.
Neifert spent five seasons working at Hobie's. She applied for the job because her husband traveled a lot and she wanted to occupy her time. Before that, she spent her days making reproduction 18th and 19th century quilts.
``In three years, I never left my house,'' said Neifert, a New Jersey native. ``I couldn't stand that I wasn't around people.''
White, a former midwife and nurse in Sweden, was looking for something to occupy her time, too.
White, who lives in Birdneck Point, is the one who spotted the retail space at Linkhorn Shoppes. ``We call this Agneta's `big find,' '' said Neifert. MEMO: Hobie's is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m.
to 8 p.m. Friday; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.
The phone number is 425-5891.
ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MORT FRYMAN
In addition to its window dressings, Hobie's keeps customer profile
cards and will search high and low for special requests.
Agneta White, left, and Carole Neifert changed Hobie's location from
Hilltop to the Linkhorn Shoppes, changed the clothing line from
seasonal to year-round and added accessories and extraordinary
customer service.
Staff photo
by MORT FRYMAN
by CNB